The Red Book of Westmarch (Archives)

After months of baseless speculation in both the fan and professional media, an official announcement from New Line Cinema confirms that Sir Peter Jackson will direct a two-part film adaptation of The Hobbit, to begin principal photography this February.

The entertainment industry paper reports that Sir Peter Jackson is close to signing a deal to direct the as-un-yet greenlighted two-part film adaptation of “The Hobbit.” According to the paper’s sources, Jackson is in Los Angeles this week, holding casting meetings for “The Hobbit.”

The San Diego Comic-Con International, the yearly mega-convention devoted to comics, movies, television, collectibles and popular culture, takes place this year from July 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center. As usual, Tolkien fans will find a number of things to enjoy…

Online betting blog Online Casino Advisory reports that in the wake of Guillermo del Toro’s defection from the planned two-part “The Hobbit” film adaptation, online casinos are taking novelty bets on when the first film will see its premiere.

Mainstream media sources including “Entertainment Weekly” are claiming that LOTR director and “The Hobbit” executive producer Sir Peter Jackson is in negotiations to direct both films, despite previous disclaimers to the contrary from his camp at Wellington, New Zealand’s Wingnut Films.

In the wake of the news that Guillermo del Toro has resigned as director of The Hobbit prequels, my friend David Krieger penned the following open letter on Facebook. With his permission, I have reposted it here…

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